Chance Meetings, Memories of the Past
by BlindMediaProductions
Summary: Fate the Argonian has returned to Riften for the first time in decades. She's been avoiding it ever since one night with a particular member of the Thieves Guild and her had a chance meeting. Now it's time for her to face her past, but how will she stand up to it?


"So…..Tell me again how you know this guy?" Amon gestured to the middle aged Nord male across the small room, tilting her head as she listened to him talk to the other guild members standing nearby.

"It is quite the long story, Amon, and now is neither the time nor the place to tell it. Perhaps later, when we have a room for the evening and are resting." Fate gazed sheepishly over at the man, a slight blush rising to her cheeks before she hid it by pulling up the hood attached to her armor.

"Actually, that sounds like quite the interesting tale. I'd like to hear it." Another man spoke up as a sly grin crossed his face, and Fate glared at him before a third voice caught her attention.

"Delvin's right, it would probably be one of the more interesting stories that gets told around here. Especially since Brynjolf has never mentioned knowing an Argonian before." This one was a woman with light hair, and as she crossed her arms in an arrogant manner Fate noticed that the others in the room were gathering around as well. All seemed interested in hearing what happened except for Brynjolf himself, but he gave Fate a gentle nod as if to say it was okay.

"Well, where to begin then….I can't say I really remember how long it's been, but it was when I was on a job. See, Amon here had some business to take care of near Falkreath and I was on my own for a few days. I did not know what to do with myself until I caught a caravan passing through begging the Jarl for help. They were heading for Riften and wanted some protection from brigands and the like that were wandering the roads. Old Dengeir was refusing to give them any soldiers, saying they should hire some protection if they were in such dire need of keeping their shipment safe. I wasn't surprised that they were getting trouble, though, since the entire caravan was made up of Khajiit. So, I stepped in once the Jarl had turned them away and offered what little help I could provide.

"Since they were unable to find additional help I was offered a sum of ten thousand Septims if I could get them safely to the gates of Riften. I agreed, and within the hour I met them outside the South gate with my horse and we were ready to go. The trip was mostly uneventful until we entered The Rift from Eastmarch. Bandits attacked, and even though I fought bravely all the Khajiit died in that battle. I don't know what made me want to keep going, but something in my mind said I had to see the cargo to Riften. So I hitched my horse up to the cart to help out, climbed in and was on my way.

"A short time later it began to rain. I didn't really mind, but as I made my way down the road I eventually noticed three figures walking the same way I was heading. Two of them appeared to be supporting a third who was clearly injured, so even though some part of me said to keep going in case it was a bandit trap I instead pulled up beside them and offered my assistance. The trio turned out to be an old man named Gallus, Karliah the Dunmer and of course Brynjolf. Apparently Karliah had been arrested during the commission of a heist up in Windhelm and thrown in the jail. Worried for her safety in a city that had such a bad reputation with Dunmer, Gallus and Brynjolf had gone to break her out and bring her back to safety. Unfortunately Karliah was hurt in the process, and the going had been pretty slow since they reached the borders of The Rift where they were safe from the Eastmarch guards.

"Anyway, I offered Gallus my horse to ride ahead to Riften because he said he had a friend there who would be better suited to help Karliah if they knew she was going to be coming in injured. Once he was gone Brynjolf and I loaded Karliah into the back and he stayed with her while I drove us on toward the city. We arrived a few hours later and Gallus was waiting to help get Karliah to the help she needed. My horse was in the stables waiting, and before we parted ways Brynjolf said he wanted to thank me. We agreed to meet at the Bee and Barb later that evening and I went about getting the cargo to the merchants in the city who had ordered it. Naturally they were glad to have it and even paid me double what the original caravan drivers had offered me for my kindness in bringing it to them even though I had been under no obligation to after the bandit attack.

"I had a full coinpurse and time to kill, so I tended to my horse for a bit before heading to the tavern to enjoy my time until Brynjolf arrived. Eventually he walked through the doors, found me and sat down for conversation. We talked for a while, he bought me some drinks and well..." Fate blushed again, thankful that her hood was already up so no one could see it.

There was an awkward pause as Fate was unsure how to continue her words. The events that followed the drinking that evening were something she had never told anyone, not even Amon, and it was clear from the look on his face that it was not a story Brynjolf had shared either. Still, everyone was watching her with bated breath and a few were even staring at Brynjolf so Fate knew she couldn't leave it at that.

"I can't really say I remember too much after that. Mead, the bard playing songs and waking up the next morning with a nasty hangover are all I really remember. I left Riften the same day and headed back to Falkreath to meet up with Amon." She shrugged, but it was clear that the explanation would not suffice as soon as Brynjolf opened his mouth.

"Cut the crap lass, at the very least I know you remember waking up before me and leaving a scrawled note thanking me for the drinks, because that's what I woke up to once you were gone." He seemed angry, but Fate couldn't say she blamed him and only hung her head in shame.

"I guess that is true. But what else was I to do, Brynjolf? I didn't know you, and considering it happened while we were both drunk I was completely embarrassed. I….I just wanted to forget it had happened, okay?" Fate was flustered, an emotion she only felt on rare occasions and had only expressed once before.

Silence fell in the aftermath of her words as everyone who had been standing near Brynjolf seemed to scoot away from him almost from fear. Amon was sitting on top of a pile of nearby boxes with a smile on her face, all but literally eating up the heated drama that was happening between the two. After all, they had appeared to be on such friendly terms until the story of how they had met came up. Clearly both were ignoring memories and feelings from that one night, and Fate's words had cut deeper than she intended.

"Well, that makes one of us then." Brynjolf's words almost dripped with hatred towards Fate for what she had said, and the Argonian sighed as she put one hand on her face in frustration.

"I didn't mean it like that, okay? I was hung over and confused, and needed time to think. I thought that if I could just go back to Falkreath and find Amon and tell her what happened she could help me figure it out. But on the journey back I started to regret it and decided it would be best to just not say anything. It's been what, twenty years? I'd just forgotten about it." Fate snorted, staring the Nord down with her pale blue eyes.

"Try more like thirty, Fate. It's been twenty-five years since Karliah murdered Gallus, and that night was a few years before all of that. But I never forgot, never. I gave up hope of finding you again, perhaps, but what little I can remember of that drunken haze of a night I always cherished." Brynjolf was getting upset, and before Fate could say more he stormed off down a side hallway.

Fate didn't even try to follow him as the door slammed, she just let the man have his space. As much as she'd tried to forget, every now and again the memories would resurface and Fate would have to spend days, if not weeks, trying to push them back into the little box where she'd contained them for so many years.

"When he finally calms down will one of you tell him I'm sorry to hear Gallus is dead? I really liked that old man, for a little as I knew him. I think for now, however, we should be going before things get worse. Come on Amon." Fate looked at the small vampire, a look that said she was serious. Amon gave a slight whine before jumping down off the crates and following her Argonian friend back into the Ratway and up through the streets of Riften to the Bee and Barb. Fate paid for two separate rooms and gave Amon the key to hers before going upstairs and burying her face in the pillow of her bed.

For the first time in a long time Fate cried. She tried to keep it silent, letting the tears flow. That one night with Brynjolf had been the reason she avoided the city of Riften as much as possible for decades, but seeing him face to face in his own turf had brought back all the memories. Having not dealt with the emotions for so long Fate was overwhelmed, and she could do nothing but hug the pillow and cry as she hoped that once things had cooled down she would be able to properly apologize to Brynjolf for what she had said and find some way to earn his forgiveness.


End file.
